Transitioning from high school to a highly respected and ranked research university has been an experience filled with unexpected discoveries, academic challenges, and significant personal growth. Reflecting on this first year, I am struck by how certain classes, relationships with faculty and peers, and the overall academic culture have shaped my understanding of what it means to thrive in a university environment. These lessons are the ones I would seal into a time capsule for future freshmen, offering insight into how to make the most of their first year.
One of the most surprising revelations came through an elective course I initially enrolled in to fulfill a supporting course requirement for our scholars’ program Science and Global Change. The class I signed up for was titled: Beyond Race: Human Biological Diversity. Despite expecting it to be a simple box-checking class, it turned out to be deeply engaging and intellectually stimulating. The subject matter, revolving mostly around the ethics of genetics and eugenics, opened up entirely new interests and challenged me to think in ways that high school never demanded. I discovered the course through a conversation with an upperclassman and a bit of curiosity while browsing the course catalog for the supporting courses classes. I think this course genuinely changed me, and my overall perspective of not only college, but life. I also had a class that I will not name that caused tremendous suffering, and humbled me greatly. From going to not having to try in high school, to a class average for an exam being a 30%, college is a completely different game. One thing I learned undoubtedly for that class is to not give up. In college, it is not necessarily important to score 100% on an exam, but to pass. The purpose is for you to genuinely take in and understand incredibly stimulating and difficult, but new knowledge. I have learned that you will certainly pass if you put the required time and effort into trying to understand material, regardless of how tedious. For incoming students, I strongly recommend keeping their course selections flexible and trying new things that might not sound what you want/expect. There is so much Intellect and knowledge to be gained/shared here, way more than I probably ever could have imagined.
Developing relationships with faculty has also been one of the most enriching parts of my freshman year. In one of my smaller discussion classes, I was fortunate to form a meaningful connection with the Teaching Assistant, who offered genuine guidance not just on classwork, but also on academic and career planning. However, building these relationships was not always easy. In larger lecture halls, it was/is often incredibly intimidating to speak up or visit office hours for the main professors. If I am 100% honest, I still have never attended them out of blatant fear or anxiety. Everyone I know continually insists on how helpful they can be, but I have yet to conquer that part of college. The future key to overcoming this hill, is going to be initiating contact early, introducing myself personally, attending office hours consistently, and showing genuine interest in the subject matter. I would advise future students to approach faculty not just as instructors, but as mentors. Because the more you talk to everyone around here, it seems everyone knows what to do, besides you, and so the help that these older mentors can give in general advice or tutoring is an incredible advantage, one that should not be taken for granted. Even a brief email or follow-up question after class can be the beginning of a meaningful academic relationship, and these relationships can be the difference between living two, insanely different lives if you really think about it. Especially due to the limitless opportunities that roam the halls every day.
While academics were a major part of my adjustment, my relationships with fellow students were equally vital. Forming connections with others helped ease the transition, especially during stressful or overwhelming moments. I got incredibly lucky with my random roommate and original group of friends that have also thankfully been in most of my classes. Group projects, study sessions, and casual dorm conversations became support systems. It created an environment that I could have fun in that didn’t involve the classroom. The greatest challenge was the initial barrier, mostly starting conversations with strangers in a new environment. It took effort to break the ice, but involvement in student organizations and orientation events provided natural opportunities to meet others. You would be surprised how friendly everyone is here. Most people will talk to anyone, and it is quite nice. My advice to incoming students is to take initiative, and make sure to reach out, attend ANY events, and be open to different personalities and backgrounds, as many of my friends here are from all corners of the world.
In retrospect, the aspect of university academic life I was least prepared for was managing my time independently, and balancing multiple responsibilities, with no one to tell me what to do. High school provided structure; university demanded self-discipline. Learning to create a realistic schedule, prioritize assignments, and myself, took time. If I am being brutally honest, I did not have to try in high school to be considered one of the “smartest” or “best” and yet here, I am average if lucky. Future students can prepare by developing time management habits before arriving. Genuinely put in so much more than you think you could, and you’ll be prepared. Try and begin using planners, setting deadlines, and practicing self-guided study, as reminders in your phone and one night study sessions are no match for college courses.
Looking back, each challenge and surprise of freshman year brought an opportunity to grow. My best advice to future freshmen is to embrace the unexpected, take academic risks, and seek out connections. These are the moments that define your college experience, and your future self will thank you for them. But don’t forget to love what your doing, as life is limited, and time moves fast. One out of four complete. (hopefully).